Ventilation system for vehicle bodies



J. W. J. ACKERMANS VENTILATION'SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE BODIES 4 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 26, 1954 Original Filed Jan. 18, 1947 INVENTOR. John l/l/. J. Ackermans Jan. 26, 1954 J. w. J. AcKERMANs VENTILATION SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE BODIES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Jan. 18, 1947 NVENTOR. John //l/. d. ckernjans BY v flomeus.

Jan. 26, 1954 J. w. .1. AcKERMANs 2,667,113

VENTILATION SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE BODIES Original Filed Jan. 18, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Joh/1 M J- Ackermans QWQLQ MI.

Jan. 26, 1954 Original Filed Jan. 18, 194'? J. W. J. ACKERMANS VENTILATION SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE BODIES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 sTALE Alk msc/M265 ZoA/E 0F PAW/AL VACUUM FPEJH AIR INTAKE FRESH Alk /NTAKE IN V EN TOR.

Jo/: J. Ackermans @www Patented Jan. 26, 1954 VENTILATION SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE BODIES John W. J. Ackermans, Detroit, Mich.

Original application January 18, 1947, Serial No. 722,859. Divided and this application July 3, 1950, Serial No. 171,819

This invention relates to automobile body ventilation.

This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 722,859, filed January 18, 1947, for Convertible Vehicle Body, now Patent No. 2,596,355.

One object of the invention is the design of a practical ventilation system for an automobile body in which no windows have to be opened for ventilation.

Another object of the invention is to place the supporting pillar of the front section in line and on the inside of the upright pillar of the side window of the rear section, thus giving the appearance of one single pillar, from either the outside or the inside of the body, and have ventilation means between said pillars.

A further object is to leave clearance space between these two pillars that may be utilized as an air inlet by means cf an adjustable weatherstrip that may be operated from either the front or the rear compartment independently of the windows, without having any protruding ventilator members either inside or outside to mar the appearance of the body or to impair the safety of the passengers.

Another object is an air intake in the upper side part or vehicle body, that may be used independently from systems now in use, and an air outlet in the upper back part of said vehicle body, the side intake to assist in forcing stale air out of the back outlet when the vehicle is in motion.

Yet another object is to provide a vent or outlet in a hollow pillar, in or near the center of the back portion of the rear top section, whereby stale and warm air may be drawn out of the body by the slipstream of the car, aided by the air pressure from the inlets between the side pillars or other inward air pressure means, and that may be closed at will from the inside of the vehicle without having any protruding louvers either inside or outside to mar the appearance of the body or to endanger the safety of its oc- Cupa-nts.

Another object is to provide a Ventilating pillar that allows opportunity to make provision for wide curved back windows, in the rear top section, which eliminate the blind spots in the corners and thus give better rear vision.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the appended drawings, in which:

Claims. (Cl. 98-2) Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a convertible 5 2 automobile body embodying the present invention, showing the top in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing both top sections lowered into the booth.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view in perspective, showing the rear portion of the top.

Fig. 4 is a vertical view in detail of the ventilating pillar shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the same, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the pillar as viewed from'the interior of the vehicle.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line l-l of Fig. 6. I

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail in elevation of a portion of the rear top section as viewed from the interior of the vehicle.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged elevation of a detail, showing a portion of the structure of Fig. 8 as viewed from the left of the latter gure.

Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line Ill-IU of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line l l-I I of Fig. 8.

Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the flow of air within the vehicle body, said flow being shownV in perspectivev in Fig. 3.

Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the vertically extending sheets of air entering the body through vertically extending slits formed between the side Window, and curving inwardly to come together and be exhausted through a vertically extended discharge member provided in the back window; the flow of air is shown in full lines, while pertinent portion of the vehicle structure is shown in dotted lines.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

As will be seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the automobile body is of the two-door type and comprises a cowl 3E), a sill 32, a oor 33, and a rear side panel 34, all of these parts being stationary elements of the body. At the rear of the passenger compartment is a deck panel 35, which with the usual deck lid 31 (Fig. 3) forms a cover for the luggage compartment of the car.

.Secured to the cowl 3i) is a windshield assemin effect form transparent panels in the roof of the vehicle. The bow 40 is rabbeted at its rear surface to form a rearwardly extending ange 48 (Fig. 2), which receives the forward edge of the front top section.

This rearwardly extending windshield assembly permits the shortening of the two-top sections and prevents both sections, when in the booth, from extending too far above the body belt line and thus obstructing rear vision.

The body is provided ateach side with a door l5 50, hinged at its forward edge and carrying a window pane 52 having a frame 53, and vertically movable by any suitable actuating mechanism. Forward of the pane 52 is .a smaller pane 54 which is rotatable about a vertical axis for ventilation vin the known manner. The vkvehicle is also provided with a conventional front seat 56, and with a rear seat 58 which is positioned forwardly and inwardly of the panels 36 and 34 by a suiicient distance to provide a space or berth to receive 2'5 the two top sections as hereinafter described. The upper edge of door 50 and the upper edges of the rear panel 34 and of the deck panel 36 form a continuous line 65 which is herein referred to as the body belt line. `molding e2 extends throughout the greater portion of the length of the body.

The movable front top section is indicated at 14, and the movable rear top section or balloon is. indicated at 16, Fig. 1. prises a pair of window panes 18 vto permit rear vision, and is provided with side windows 80 which are xed relative to the remainder of the rear top section.

The rear top section is formed at either side 40 retain a rubber mounting |44 for the window 45 pane 60. A vertical rod |46 extends longitudinally within the channel |40, its upper and lower ends being pivotally secured in guide plates |48, |49, as shown in Fig. 8. To the rod is secured a Ventilating weatherstrip or louver |50 of rubber 50 or the like material which, in the position of the parts shown in Fig. l1, extends inwardly to contact the inner pillar |52 of the front ltop section, the pillar |52 being laterally aligned with the pillar |45 so as to give the appearance of a single 65 pillar when the top is completely closed. By means hereinafter described, the Ventilating weatherstrip |50 may be rotated to the dotted line position shown in Fig. ll, in which position it permits the entry of air between the pillars Uita and |52, the air passing rearwardly from this opening and out through the apertures |08 and |06 at the rear of the passenger compartment.

The upper end of the rod |46 is squared to,'65

engage in a squared hole in a lever arm |53 (Fig. l0), which is secured to the rod |46 as by riveting the material of the rod after the weatherstrip |50 and guide plates |48, |49 have been mounted on the rod. A push rod |54 has 70 its forward bent end pivotally engaged in an aperture at the projecting end of lever arm |53, its rear portion being bent downwardly to form a vertical portion |55, and then inwardly to form a handle |56. In order to retain the 75 A horizontal external belt r30 The latter section com- 35 4 weatherstrip |50 in its closed position, a boss |51 is formed on the lower surface of the push rod |54, to engage the forward edge of a slotted plate |58 which is secured to a flange |60 formed on the upper edge of a channel shaped frame member |6I. The plate |58 is preferably formed as the lower leg of a channel member, the upper leg |62 of which is apertured to retain a leaf spring |64. The free end of spring |64 presses downwardly against the push rod |54 to prevent rattling and to retain the boss |51 in yielding engagement with the front edge of the plate |56. At the bottom of the rod |46 is mounted a coil spring |65, the same being stressed to lexert a torsional force upon the rod tending to move the 4Ventilating weatherstrip |50 to its open position. One end of the spring |65 is secured to the guide plate |46, while the other end of the spring is secured in a hole in the rod |46. The lower end of rod |46 is formed with an enlarged head |56 which rests upon the horizontal arm of a contoured channel-shaped rail |56 which forms part of the frame of the window pane 60.

In order to open the Ventilating weatherstrip or louver |50, the user will raise handle |56 sufficiently to disengage boss |51 from the front edge of plate |58, whereupon the spring |65 will rotate the weatherstrip to open position, moving the push rod |54 from the full line to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 8. To close the weatherstrip, the handle |56 will be moved forwardly until boss |51 engages the front edge of plate |58, which will retain the weatherstrip in closed position.

The two window panes 18 in the back of the rear top section are separated by a hollow pillar |00 (Figs. 3 and 4), which extends along the median plane of the vehicle and is made up of an outer rib |02 and an inner rib |04, the same being attached vat their upper ends to a frame member |05 and at their lower ends to the rear rail 93. The outer rib |02 is formed with Ventilating apertures |06, and the inner rib |04 is formed with corresponding apertures |08 staggered vertically with respect to the apertures |116, the purpose being to cause the partial vacuum created by the slipstream of the vehicle in motion to draw out through these Ventilating apertures the rising stale or warm air within the passenger compartment, assisted by the forced-in air of the side intakes.

Thus, as can be clearly seen from an examination of Figs. 3, 12 and 13, the ventilation effected within the enclosure of the vehicle body in accordance with the present invention is based on creating flow of thin vertically extending layers or sheets of air entering the body behind drivers seat and produced by the airscoop'ing slits between the front side window and rear side window of the automobile body. Because of the construction illustrated in the drawing, such vertically extending layers of air are created on both sides of the vehicle and they flow rearwardly of the vehicle along the inner surfaces of the rear side windows and without creating cross-currents or draft currents that would impinge on occupants and particularly on drivers head and neck. The layers of moving air so created move rearwardly of the vehicle and curve around the rounded corners of the body to converge in front of the back window, i. e., in locality where the air discharge member |69 is provided. See Figs. 12 and 13. In view of the fact that during the forward nml,

accvu'is4 i the two sheets of air talles place and increase of pressure taires place, a very active flow of air through 'the member idd `outwardh7 of` the vee v icle is created.

Referring to Fig. l, it will be seen that due to the inclination of the bach window '58, there is provided a certain space immediately infront of the back window l and behindthe back seat, wherein such motion or" air talles place without causing inconvenience even to the occupants of the bach seat.

it will be u iderstood that such ilow of air under certain conditions may tend to be greater than the or through the air-scooping slits, whereby addaional general flow of air` of relatively low velocity is induced within the body, generally in the rearward direction, thus carrying exhausting tobacco smoke, air exhausted by the occupants ofthe body as well as engine fumes which may penetrate the body through the heater or through cracks or holes in the lower portion of the body.

lt will be further understood that such ventilation is substantially draftless since the strong' streams air are not in the form of thick solid streams such as may be produced by turning front window naps and directing the air toward the middle lower portion of the drivers seat, or

by opening any of the side windows and caus-l ing strong horizontally extending layers of inrushing air entering the vehicle body and whirling around therein.

For the purpose of opening and closing the apertures ist when desired, a control rod iii. is slidably mounted within the rib ld, and is formed with an angular extension i i2 which pro* jects through a slot in the rib ill to form a hanole within the reach of the occupants of the passenger compartment. A baille plate li is mounted adjacent each i the apertures ist. of the plates lid is pivoted adjacent its upper on a pin i it mounted in the inner rib idd, and its lower edge is connected by means of a linl; H8 to the rod HQ. Each baiiie plate iis is provided with a cover |29, of rubber or lilac material, which yieldingly engages the inturned edges of the Ventilating aperture |55. rihe cover may be secured to plate lid by pressing a portion of the material through apertures in the plate lill, as indicated in Fig. 4. With the arrangement just described, the ven- 'lating apertures 5% may be opened by pushing the handle H2 upwardly to the position shown in dotted lines in ll, causing the links IIS to open the plates as indicated in dotted lines in the same ligure. As will be seen in Figs. 5 and '7, the ribs |92 and il'ili are formed with infolded and overlapping edges to provide opposed grooves in which are mounted grooved strips |22 of rubber or the like to receive the edges of the rear window panes i3. The two ribs are held together by means of plates I2t and |25 which are separably secured together by means of machine screws |2. The control rod liti is guided in slots formed in flanges |23, 29, the flanges themselves being formed from the metal which is removed in forming the Ventilating apertures I G8. In order to permit assembling, the upper ange |29 is cut off, and a plate i3d is detach# ably secured thereto by means of bolts 32 after the rod lll has been inserted through the slot in the lower flange |26. rod ||3 in its upper position and thus retain the plates ||4 in their open position, the handle H2 is provided with a pin or boss |3111 which is positioned to engage and deflect an angular leaf spring |35 as the handle is moved upwardly, and nally to engage a shoulder on said spring to be retained in uppermost position until forced downwardly by the operator. The spring |35 is mounted on a bracket |33 `secured to the side wall oi the inner rib ltd.

In assembling, the outer rib id? may iirst be permanently secured to the rear rail and the frame member |65, and after the baci: windows 'i8 have been installed the inner rib idf; wl h its associated balies and other elements be installed as a unit and held in place of screws, |26, access to the screws had through the inner Ventilating apertures ist. The screws |26 when fixed in position in the plates |24 and 125 securely retain the two ribs together. The inner rib H35, may then be secured to the rail .93 and the frame member |4515 by means oi bolts |39.

The two rigid top sections may be moved from the raised position shown in Fig.V l to the lowered position shown in Fig. 2, and vice versa, by power mechanism disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 722,859, above identied.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it may be embodied in other forms within the skill of artisans in this art, and is not limited except in accordance with the terms oi the following claims.

I claim:

l. In a closed vehicle body having a front seat, two sides each including a front side window and a rear side window, said front and rear side windows having their adjacent vertically extending edges overlapping each other and disposed behind said front seat, the rear side window being offset outwardly to have its front edge disposed outwardly from the adjacent rear edge of the front side window to form an air-scooping slit extending through substantially the entire height of said windows and adapted when the vehicle is in motion to entrap the inrushing air and to produce a vertically extending sheet of air moving within the body in the rearward direction along the inner surface of the rear side window, and shutter means including an elongated member of rubber-like material operatively arranged along said air-scooping slit, said shutter means being operable from within said body to close and to open said air-scooping slit.

2. In a closed vehicle body having a front seat and a back window at the rear of the body with the inner rear corner of the body being curved, two sides each including a front side window and a rear side window, said iront and rear side windows at each of said two sides having their adjacent vertically extending edges overlapping each other and disposed behind said iront seat, the rear side window being offset outwardly to have its front edge disposed outwardly from the adjacent rear edge of the front side window to form an air-scooping slit extending through sub stantially the entire height of said windows, shut-1 ter means operable from within said body to close and to open said air-scooping slit, the air-scoop- In order to hold the' ammini wardlyalong thesidevof the vehicle andcurying 5,

alongsaid inner corner, Withvsuch sheets of air from the ,sides of the body zmeetingin front, ofthev back window, a. dischargemember provided in said back window, said discharge member extend.-V

ingsubstantially through the entire heigl'itof said l0 back Window and havingyents adaptedto dis-`- charge air rearwardly of the vehicle into the re gion where partialvacuum iscreated during A,fora ward motion of4 the vehicle; and. second slnittery means operable from Withinsaidbody and l5,

adapted to.close sealnglyand to opensaid Vents.

3. The construction defined incla ixn2, the` shuttermeans for the air-scooping slits an'dvfon; the back `window .being operable V manuallyA ,Y and independently of each other. 201

4., In a closed vehiclebody havingaback*Win: dow.opening, a plurality of window panes ,tted intosaid opening to leavebetweenthemLat least` one slot extending substantially through the entire height ofvthewindow opening, a hollowv air- 25 -4 discharge member adapted to close said slot and comprising an outer portion and an inner por,-V tion removable from said outer portion, sealingz means between said member and said panes, a plurality of vent aperturesin each of saidouter` and inner portions adapted to dischargeair from the interior of thev bodyrearwardlyof the vehicle shutter means carried bysaidinner portion,and including a corresponding. plurality of jhinged" closures adapted to close sealingly the vent aper- 35,

tures in said vouter portion, and a control rod mounted within said inner portion. and connected to said closures for operating the samesmulf.

within the body.

5t A ventlatmalischage memberfora vehicle bedmsaid member. 4installableinthe.bwk Window f opening ,of a' ,ve,h,ile body and, comprising an,

outer portion andan inner portion separable from each other Vto `form a hollow member, said outer and, inner portions being provided with Ventilating ,aperturesuadapted to discharge thev air realwaldlyofthe vehicle, and said inner porton carrying a plurality of closures pivotedly mountedthereonarld adapted to close sealingly and to,,openthe, ventilating apertures in said outer portion, and a control rod mounted within saidinner portion andoperable from within the bodysaid control rod hingedly connected to said closures ,andadapted to operate the same to close sealingly said. Ventilating apertures, in said outer portion and to openthesame.

JOHN W. J. ACKERMANS.

References Cited in the le of this patentl UNITED STATESPATENTS Number. Name Date 1,607,109 Wieser Nov. 16, 1926 1,635,609 Crawford July 12, 1927 1,846,552 Haskins Feb, 23, 1932 1,918,630 Bombard et al. July 18, 1933 1,980,039 Crowell' Nov. 6, 1934 1,985,538 Fergueson4 Dec. 25, 1934 2,039,403Y Gillette May 5, 1936 2,045,578 Buford June 30, 1936 2,223,709 Wickstrom et-al. Dec. 3, 1940 2,241,147 Maier May 6, 1941 2,302,202 Freydl Nov. 17, 1942 2,463,715 Randall Mar. 8, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 377,636 Great Britain'I July 28, 1932 515,343Y Great Britain Dec. 1, 1939 651,703 Germany Oct. 18, 1937 

